


The Truth

by mymermaidstory



Category: Parks and Recreation, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dark shit goes down so beware, F/M, Kidnapping, Steve and Nancy are Jean Ralphio's and Mona Lisa's real parents, Stranger Things/Parks and Rec crossover, Teen Pregnancy, Torture, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-08-23 05:13:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8315215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mymermaidstory/pseuds/mymermaidstory
Summary: Two years after the first appearance of the Demogorgon, things begin to finally go back to normal in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana. People keep living their lives like normal, Will and his friends continue their daily Dungeons and Dragons games, and Steve and Nancy get back together. However, after one night of drunken sex at a party, Nancy is forced to deal with the unexpected consequences of that decision.
If only she knew just how strange things would become for her, Steve, and their children as well as the sacrifices they would have to make to keep them safe...
Even if those sacrifices meant they'd never see them again.





	1. The News

Nancy was absolutely beyond shocked when she discovered she wad unexpectedly pregnant with Steve’s baby. She stared at the positive pregnancy test in her trembling hands, scared out of her wits as the truth was glaring her in the face. She had just turned 17, there was no way in hell she was ready for a baby! She wasn’t even a senior in high school yet plus she was still dealing with the stress from the events of the previous year with the Demogorgon. If she was still having PTSD from that, how could she trust herself to raise a baby? There was also the fact that she was still living with her parents and she was terrified as to how her parents would react, never mind her little brother’s reaction. And then there were her friends’ reactions as well. Would they judge her for it? Would they think she was a slut, despite the only person she had ever been with was Steve. 

However, despite all the fears and worried Nancy had, she knew that she could never have an abortion. She couldn’t kill something that didn’t even have a chance at life yet. She would either raise it herself or find a loving family to take care of it. She just hoped Steve would understand.

Nancy was so wrapped up in her nerves and this big change that she had completely forgotten that Steve was coming over to take her out for dinner that night. She made sure to put on her best smile when Steve finally arrived. Nancy loved him so much. He was so strong, so beautiful... So him. She was his in every sense of the word and she wouldn’t want it any other way. 

“Hey...” She laughed, smiling brightly as she met him in the living room. He smiled back before leaning in to kiss her gently. She met him halfway, kissing back deeply before Mike interrupted them.

“Oh c’mon Nancy! Don’t suck face while I’m around, ugh!” Mike cringed at the sight of his sister kissing Steve, which caused her to just roll her eyes and shake her head.

“Tell mom we’ll be back later ok? Try not to set the house on fire while I’m gone.” She smirked at her little brother who just groaned and walked down into the basement. 

“I’m still surprised at how well you two get along. I guess trauma does that to a person.” Steve commented, his thumb lightly stroking Nancy’s hand. He was just as devoted to her as she was to him and he couldn’t imagine his life without her. 

“Yeah well, I think our share experiences have brought us closer... much like you and me.” Her words were soft as she pulled herself closer to Steve, nuzzling into his chest and he squeezed her back. 

“C’mon. Lets get to that new burger joint that opened up down the street before it gets too crowded. After all, didn’t you say you were dying to try it?” Steve pulled away but kept Nancy’s hand in hers as he led her back to his car and they drove off. However, during the entire car ride, Nancy was trying to find a way to tell Steve she was pregnant without making him have a heart attack. So far, nothing seemed to be working and all her deliberation was just making her heart race. She was zoning out pretty badly because the next thing she knew, Steve had just parked and he was snapping his fingers in front of her face.

“Nance? Hey Nancy?” He spoke a little louder and the sudden jarring back to reality made her jump.

“W-what?” She stammered before realizing what was going on, “Oh... shit sorry. I’m just a little out of it today. Something’s just weighing heavy on my mind...” She whispered, looking away from Steve. He immediately knew something was wrong just by the look on her face.

“Do you wanna talk about it? I’m here for you if you need to say some-“

“I’m pregnant...” She interrupted him, blurting it out suddenly and staring at the floor of his car. Steve’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He stared at her silently for a good five minutes before he could finally speak.

“I-I’m sorry... what?” He asked in shock and Nancy licked her lips before looking back over at him.

“I’m pregnant Steve... You’re the father. I found out this morning.” She was shaking slightly in the car seat as Steve continued to stare at her with this unreadable expression, “I must’ve conceived at Jennifer’s party a few weeks ago, the day after my birthday. We must’ve been too drunk to remember a condom.” She put her head in her hands and tried to fight off the tears that were burning in her eyes. “I’m so sorry Steve...”

Steve sat in his seat, frozen and unable to think of what to do. He was only 18; he was graduating this June and had already gotten a scholarship to Notre Dame. His future was pretty much all planned out and he knew Nancy was going to continue to be a part of it, but this new development definitely threw a wrench into things. It took another few minutes before Steve could speak again.

“Are you going to keep it?” He whispered, swallowing dryly as he thought of all the things that could go wrong. Nancy could die in childbirth, the kid could have some kind of disease, the Demogorgon could come back and kill them all... All kinds of horrific things flooded Steve’s mind as he processed the news.

“I don’t know... All I know is that I can’t have an abortion. I can’t kill it, Steve. I just can’t.” She stated firmly, “But I don’t even know if I’m ready for this. Given the circumstances, both yours and mine, I might have to give it up for adoption.” She explained as the tears finally spilled down her cheeks, “God, what are my parents gonna think? They’re gonna kill me, Steve. Hell, my dad is gonna kill you! FUCK, what the hell am I gonna do?!” Nancy started panicking, her body shaking even more, pressing her palms against her face as she sobbed. Steve then immediately leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and holding her as close as he could. 

“We’re gonna take this a day at a time ok Nance? You’re gonna be ok. We’re gonna be ok. And no matter what, I’m gonna stay by your side. I love you Nancy Wheeler, and whatever you choose, I will be with you through all of it. I promise.” Steve’s voice was shaky but he tried to stay strong. He was probably just as nervous, if not moreso, than she was. He was going to be a father and even if they didn’t keep the baby, that fact wasn’t going to change. 

However, no matter what life threw at him, Steve knew he wasn’t going to leave Nancy’s side and that was absolutely certain.


	2. The Explanation

The next day, Nancy called her parents together for a meeting because she knew that she had to tell them sooner or later. She tried to do it when Mike was downstairs playing with his little friends since he would find out regardless, plus she didn’t want him judging her. Steve was leaning against the wall behind her as Nancy paced nervously in front of her parents, ringing her hands together under the harsh yet watchful eyes of Ted and Karen Wheeler.

“I have to tell you something... Just promise me you won’t murder me...” She whispered quietly, “I... I’m pregnant.” She finally said and much like Steve, the room was quiet for a moment before her parents spoke up.

“Oh Nancy... Oh honey how could you let this happen? I thought we taught you to protect yourself!” Her mother said in shock and Nancy immediately began tearing up. 

“I’m so sorry mom! I didn’t mean for it to happen! It was an accident, a complete accident!” She stammered, “But I know I can’t have an abortion so just get that thought out of your heads. I am still considering adoption though...” She spoke rapidly while still pacing, trying to collect herself.

“I’m guessing Steve is the father then?” Her father spoke up and Nancy nodded. Ted sighed heavily then, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. He then stood up and walked over to Steve who immediately straightened up, looking Mr. Wheeler in the eyes. “You’re going to stay at my baby girl’s side throughout all this right? You’re not going to flake out on her in the middle of this?” He asked firmly and Steve nodded instantly.

“I love Nancy with all of my heart, Mr. Wheeler. This is my fault and if I left her now, I’d be no better than my own dad.” He said with confidence. Nancy looked over at him with a soft smile, knowing how deeply he was still hurting from his father skipping out on him, his brother Ralph, and his mother when he was little. She knew Steve would stay, if not for her but atleast for his painful daddy issues that he tried to bury deep inside himself.

Mr. Wheeler nodded, running a hand through his hair before turning back to Nancy, wrapping his arms around his daughter and hugging her before leaving the room all together. Mrs. Wheeler stood up then, walking over to the pair with her arms crossed.  
“It seems you’ve already made up your mind about this Nancy... This is obviously going to be a big change for you, but whatever happens, your father and I will be here to support you. Even though you made a stupid decision, I think you’re smart enough to handle the consequences. We need to set you up a doctor’s appointment and I’ll go with you to it.” She then turned to Steve, narrowing her eyes at him, “If you want to come along as well Steve, you’re welcome to do so. After all, the doctor might be interested to know about any family history of diseases or anything...” She glared at him before kissing Nancy’s forehead and walking off. Nancy let out a huge sigh of relief and practically fell into Steve’s open arms, holding him tightly and letting out a few more sobs.

“Hey... Shhh... it’s gonna be ok. Atleast your parents are onboard now. I promise you Nance, it’s gonna be ok.” He petted her hair lovingly as he thought of how his mother would react. He just hoped she wouldn’t treat him how she treated his own father when he left them.


	3. The Surprise

When Nancy discovered she was pregnant with twins, she almost fainted right there on the examination table. The scanner clearly showed the two embryos in separate sacs, their little hearts beating rapidly. Steve’s face had paled but Mrs. Wheeler managed to stay strong. After all, it was her 17 year old daughter that was having the children. She knew Nancy needed someone to be her rock if Steve wasn’t able to handle it. Word somehow managed to get out at school about Nancy’s pregnancy about two weeks after she learned about the twins. People started looking at her differently and her so called friends definitely started talking about her behind her back. Despite all the talk, Steve was always by Nancy’s side. He wouldn’t leave her if he didn’t have to and if anyone even TRIED to start shit with her, they’d have to answer to Steve’s fist.

Because the news had spread so fast, it wasn’t long before Jonathan Byers found out. Nancy had been terrified to tell him since she knew he had a hardcore crush on her, but she assumed he had moved on after she reunited with Steve over Christmas. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case when he approached her at her locker one afternoon.

“So... you’re pregnant?” He asked quietly and Nancy sighed, holding her books to her chest as she turned to her friend.

“It seems you’re the last person to find out.” She said jokingly, her expression harsh. Jonathan’s hands were shoved in his pockets and it was clear he was hurt given the expression on his face. He would’ve been lying had he said he didn’t care about it, but he still cared for Nancy so deeply that the knowledge that she was pregnant with Steve Harrington’s babies really hurt.

“I’m sorry everyone is getting on your ass about it. It’s none of their business anyway.” Jonathan said, looking down at the ground, “Is Steve cool with it all? Like, he’s not being a douchebag is he?” Nancy laughed quietly at his reaction, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Steve is actually really good. He’s handling it pretty well, which is nice, but of course it’s still a big shock for us both. My parents were surprisingly supportive, and so far, everything seems to be going ok. Twins though... it’s gonna be a lot to deal with.” Nancy shrugged, “I still don’t know if I’m gonna keep them, but even if I don’t, I’ll make sure they stay healthy.” Nancy’s hand gently caressed her stomach that was now beginning to round out. Jonathan’s eyes obviously traveled down her body and remained on her belly for a moment before returning to her face.

“You know Nancy, if you ever need any help with anything at all, just let me know ok?” His voice was soft as his heart broke. Nancy watched him seemingly fold in on himself and she immediately pitied him. He was her best friend and if it wasn’t for him, she would’ve been long dead. She stepped closer to him and took him in her arms, nuzzling into his shoulder. He shuddered against her when her body pressed into his. He wished more than anything that she could’ve been his, that the children she was carrying were his, but he knew that wasn’t meant to be. Nancy pulled away when the warning bell for her next class rang, sighing quietly again. 

“Thank you Jonathan, seriously. You’re one of the only true friends I have left.” Nancy then turned and left for her next class, leaving Jonathan on his own in the center of the hall. All he knew was that he wanted to keep Nancy safe, especially after all that happened to them. 

Little did he know that he would have that opportunity sooner than he thought.


	4. The Vanishing of Nancy Wheeler

Nancy’s pregnancy had been progressing normally and she was actually surprised at how well everything had been going. Ever since the situation with the Demogorgon, she was always a little on edge, waiting for something bad to happen. But she was seven months along and nothing even remotely bad happened, so Nancy was starting to relax a little. Her twins started moving more and more as time went on and she still couldn’t believe she was actually going to be a mother.

After all, she and Steve had decided they were going to keep the babies. They couldn’t imagine anyone else raising them and Steve wanted to be a better man than his own father.

One morning, Nancy was walking home from a friend’s house when she started to get an odd feeling. She had been there to get some spare baby clothes since her friend’s mother was willing to give her some for free, but that wasn’t what made her feel weird. Nancy felt a chill running up and down her spine as she _swore_ there was someone following her. She picked up her pace a bit, knowing her house was just a few blocks away and even if she was just being paranoid, she would get there faster. Her heart started beating faster when she heard a car on the street beside her start to speed up as well. Nancy looked over her shoulder and saw a large black van trailing her down the street and she swallowed dryly. She quickened her pace even more and the car sped up as well. That was when Nancy knew for a fact she was being followed which caused her to break out into a full sprint. She ran as fast as she could with her large belly in the way but the can sped past her, zooming in front of her on the sidewalk before a group of men in suits jumped out of the van. They ran at her and grabbed onto her, shoving a rag into her mouth to silence her screams before they yanked her into the back of the van. The car drove away as fast as it could, its wheels squealing in doing so.

Unfortunately, those driving the van should’ve been a little more careful about who they had on lookout since Mike was staring in shock after having just seen his sister kidnapped. 

Mike burst into his house screaming and panicking, trying to explain to his parents what happened. They immediately called the police and Mike gave his best description of the car and the people that took Nancy and any other details he could think of. The whole thing shook the poor boy, especially since this was the second time someone close to him had been kidnapped. Of course, once the police got involved, the first suspect they had was Steve. So when Steve rushed over to the Wheeler’s house when he found out what happened, the police pinned him up against the wall and tried to cuff him. 

“Wait wait wait, WHAT?! Why are you arresting me?! I didn’t do anything! My girlfriend and my children have just been kidnapped and yet you’re blaming me for that?! What fucking motivation could I ever have for doing something like that?!” Steve shouted and Mike shot up to help him. 

“Hey hey stop, Steve’s right! He loves Nancy, he would never even think about hurting her! Let him go!” Mike reasoned with the cops. The two officers holding Steve looked at each other for a moment before uncuffing Steve and letting him go. Steve brushed himself off and turned to Mike, grabbing the boy’s shoulders and looking him straight in the eyes.

“Tell me everything that happened, Mike. I need to know.”

“I was riding home from school and I saw Nancy walking back from her friend’s house. I was about to ride past her when I saw this black van start trailing her, so I trailed it. The van didn’t have any license plates and the windows were tinted so I couldn’t see inside, but the next thing I knew, these guys in suits ran our and dragged her kicking and screaming into the van! I tried to stop it, I followed the van as fast as I could but it sped off and I couldn’t keep up. I-I don’t know why someone would want to take her but...” Mike cut himself off and looked nervously around the room, “But I think I know _who_ took her.”


	5. The Inside Of Hawkins Labs

Nancy’s eyes slowly blinked open as she woke up, feeling a bit disoriented since the room was completely dark. She could feel her twins moving wildly inside her, a sigh of relief leaving her since her children were safe. She sat up on her cot slowly and tried to look around but she couldn’t see anything. 

“Hello?! What’s going on?! Where the hell am I?!” She demanded, trying to stay as strong as she could despite her nerves starting to get the best of her. It was then that a small light came through the darkness and Nancy realized that she was in some kind of observation room since the light illuminated another room of people on the opposite side of a glass pane. She stood up and glared at the people, trying to get her balance and leaning on the cot. 

“Hey! Let me out of here you assholes! What do you want from me!?” She shouted and her eyes locked on the familiar man in the center. She recognized his face from the incident at Hawkins Middle School. It was Dr. Martin Brenner and he was staring at her like she was a science experiment.

“Please try to stay calm Miss Wheeler. You wouldn’t to cause your twins any more stress than normal.” He said with a straight face. Nancy’s eyes widened at his words as it struck her what his plans were. She found out from Jonathan a while back that the reason why Eleven had her powers was because Dr. Brenner was experimenting on her mother while she was pregnant. He then stole Eleven from her mother and raised her to be a telekinetic weapon. Nancy knew she couldn’t let her children end up the same way as Eleven, she _wouldn’t_ let it happen. She immediately started backing away from the window, trying to get herself more secluded in the room, when her back collided with something wet and cold on the wall behind her. She recognized the chill almost instantly, screaming in shock and practically jumping away from it as if it had burned her. She covered her hand with her mouth as the sight processed in her mind. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Right there in front of her was an entrance to the Upside Down like the one she went through in the woods. 

“I wouldn’t back up any further if I were you, Miss Wheeler. I doubt you’d want to end up down there like your friend Barbara.” Dr. Brenner’s voice echoed throughout the room again and Nancy began to panic. She frantically looked around the dark room, desperately searching for any kind of exit, but she was unable to find one.

“What do you want from me?” She shouted nervously, walking back over to the cot she woke up on and sitting down. Her hands gently caressed her belly in an attempt to calm herself down, trying to figure out a way out of the situation. She cringed in disgust and discomfort when she heard Dr. Brenner’s unsettling laugh.

“Oh Miss Wheeler, I thought you were smarted than that.” Brenner scoffed and Nancy’s heart hardened. She curled in on herself, trying to protect her children from the clutches of the awful scientist. 

“Go fuck yourself...” Nancy spat out, glaring Dr. Brenner straight in the eyes. She may have been terrified out of her mind but she was stubborn and had always been. She wasn’t going to give up her children without a fight. The room suddenly lit up as a pair of double doors opened up in front of her and two men in scrubs ran into the room with her. Nancy immediately began fighting as the agents grabbed her by the arms and started hauling her into the air. She screamed at the top of her lungs when she felt their hands on her body and on her belly. She kept fighting and screaming until one of the agents jammed a needle into her neck, injecting her with a strong sedative that knocked her unconscious almost immediately. Nancy’s world went black but her last thoughts were of Steve and her babies.


	6. The Unlikely Ally

The cops didn’t believe a single second of Mike’s testimony about who took Nancy. After all, Hawkins Labs had made a huge deal with Chief Hopper once Mike was rescued so that no one would ever know about what really happened. Hopper was forced to lie to the entire police force about Will’s disappearance and rescue in order to not only protect himself, but to protect everyone else from the mass panic that would ensue if they knew the truth. No matter what Mike said, what Steve said, what _anyone_ said, the cops just didn’t believe this insane story about a monster from another plane of existence stealing people from our world. Regardless, the cops did put out a missing persons notice and began using the same tactics they used for finding Will. Steve, however, knew that the cops wouldn’t be able to deal with the truth of what had happened. Nancy had told him about how Hawkins Labs created the Demogorgon in the first place and experimented on Eleven to give her the abilities she had.

And it was the day after Nancy was taken that he realized just _why_ exactly Hawkins Labs would want her.

Steve couldn’t go to Hopper since he was the reason the cops didn’t take their story seriously in the first place, and he couldn’t just straight up storm the castle, so he was forced to go to the one person who he knew would be willing to help him.

He banged on the Byers’s front door, nervously pacing back and forth on their front porch until Jonathan answered the door.

“Steve? What the h-“ 

“Jonathan, please, I need your help ok? Nancy’s been taken.” He was visibly shaken as he stood there and Jonathan’s face paled the moment he processed Steve’s words.

“What? What do you mean Nancy’s been taken?! Who took her Steve?!”

“I don’t know! I-I mean I _do_ know, but I don’t know the specific person... Fuck, dude, the same guys that made that fucking creature that tried to kill us a few years back, they took Nancy off the street yesterday! Her little brother saw a bunch of guys in suits haul her into the back of a van and speed off.” He tried to explain what happened without sounding like a completely crazy person, but he knew Jonathan would understand and would help him.

“Why on Earth would they want Nancy? She didn’t do anything to them? There wasn’t any need for them to take her is there?”

“The twins... They want my kids, Jonathan. Nancy told me the whole story about the girl with the crazy mind powers and where she came from and all that crap... Now that she’s gone, they’re looking for new protégé, new weapons to train and shape like that girl. They probably went after Nancy and my kids because of her brother’s connection to your brother and...” Steve started tearing up just thinking about what could possible happen to Nancy. He kept pacing back and forth, unable to speak anymore, until he finally broke down in tears. His hands fisted in his hair when he slid down the side of Jonathan’s house, desperately trying to make sense of the whole situation while simultaneously hoping that Nancy and the babies were ok. Jonathan immediately walked out and kneeled down beside Steve. He was in absolute shock at seeing his friend like this. Not once in the entire time he had known Steve had he seen him this distraught and this shattered about anything.

“We’re gonna get her back safe, Steve, I promise. I’ll do everything in my power to help you. I care about her too and I couldn’t live with myself if I just let her go like this. C’mon inside, my mom’s at work and Will’s out with his friends.” Jonathan helped Steve to his feet and closed the door behind them. They had a lot of planning to do.


	7. The Escape

Nancy had been fading in and out of consciousness ever since they first injected her with the sedative. She was only getting little bits and pieces of what they were trying to do to her because they were keeping her unconscious for as long as they could. 

“ _She’s strong. We have to keep upping the sedative because she keeps waking up.”_ A soft voice said.

 _“Atleast we know she’s tough since that means her children will be too. Maybe they’ll be able to accomplish what Number 11 couldn’t. Maybe they won’t break under the pressure like she did.”_ A new, harsher voice replied.

 _“You think they’ll even survive? It took us 11 tries last time remember?”_ The first voice spoke up again.

 _“Oh they’ll survive alright. They’ve already survived the first two rounds of treatment. Half of our previous test subjects lost their babies after only the first round. Miss Wheeler’s offspring are fighters, much like their mother it seems.”_ A dark chuckle was heard from the second voice and it churned Nancy’s stomach. Her head lolled from side to side as she slowly started to wake up from hearing the conversation above her. 

“N-n-no... L-leave them alone...” She murmured, her words slurred from the sedative and her hands twitching at her sides as she began to regain control of her body.

“Oh Miss Wheeler, we’re not going to hurt them. In fact, your children are going to be heroes. They’re going to end this war. They’re going to be stronger than you could ever imagine and you’re going to be so proud of them.” The second voice explained and Nancy recognized the voice as that of Dr. Brenner.

“I don’t want them to be heroes if it means you have them...” She said, her words a bit more clear as the sedative continued to wear off. Nancy tried to move, tried to sit up, before she realized her hands and ankles were restrained. Brenner sighed heavily when he saw her starting to struggle, shaking his head and turning to the man beside him.

“Continue upping her sedative. She’s only got about a month and a half left anyway. Keep her under as long as we can.” 

“Sir, if we increase her sedative any more, she could die. She’s already on the maximum amount we can give without killing her.” Brenner gritted his teeth at the news, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

“Well just give her another dose of the maximum amount _now_ then! We don’t want her waking up and trying to escape!” He clarified and the scared man at his side nodded. Nancy by this point was almost completely awake and she started feverishly struggling. As she kept moving, it was then that she realized how much her abdomen had grown since she was taken. How long had she been gone? Her belly was definitely bigger than it was before, and he said she had a month and a half left of her pregnancy...

She had been unconscious for almost an entire month.

The man in white grabbed a needle from a side table and Nancy squirmed away from him, pulling hard against the restraints keeping her tied down.

“No... No no no, please! Please don’t do this! I know what happened to Eleven, my brother told me what happened!” She shouted, saying anything she could think of that would spare her life and the lives of her unborn children. It seemed to be working though since Brenner turned back around to face her, stopping the man from knocking her out again. He stalked towards her, his hands resting on the cot she was tied to.

“What do you know about Number 11? What happened to her?” He demanded. Nancy didn’t see any compassion or concern in his eyes when he mentioned the girl. All she saw was anger and possession. 

“Undo my wrist cuffs and I’ll tell you. I’m too weak to hurt you anyway, I promise I won’t do anything...” She lied, hoping he would believe her lie and untie her. Brenner’s eyes scanned her face, trying to find any trace of untruth, but Nancy was an incredible liar. Even with all of Brenner’s CIA training, he couldn’t get underneath her poker face and he believed her.

“Fine,” He turned to his assistant then, “If she tries anything, knock her out.” Brenner then slowly undid the restraints on her wrists and watched closely as she rubbed at her skin. “What information do you have on Number 11?” He repeated and Nancy leaned in closer, as if to whisper the answer in his ear, all while her hand slid down to the medical table beside her. The man in white immediately noticed this, unfortunately.

“Sir-!” He tried to warn him, but Nancy had already gotten ahold of the metal tray and smacked Brenner hard over the head with it. The man fell to the ground unconscious and the man in white rushed at Nancy, but she fought back instinctively. When she had hit Brenner with the tray, all sorts of scalpels and needles went flying. One scalpel had landed on her lap and Nancy grabbed it, stabbing the man in the stomach when he got close enough. He cried out in pain and backed up, giving Nancy enough time to undo her ankle restraints and burst out of the room. She started running mindlessly down the hall wearing nothing but a hospital gown and hoping to God that she was close to the exit. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side since the alarms began blaring almost immediately after she escaped. Guards in white surrounded her and hauled her off the ground.

“NO! NO NO, LET ME GO! PLEASE LET ME GO PLEASE!!!!” She screamed, struggling and kicking against the men holding her until one of them stabbed her in the neck with a sedative needle. Her world went black once more and Nancy fell unconscious in the guard’s arms. Brenner came running down the hall soon after, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Nancy’s unconscious form.

“You alright sir?” One of the guards asked and Brenner nodded despite the pained groan that left his mouth.

“Put her back in her cell, keep her monitored 24/7. Put her sedative in an IV so she won’t wake up again until she goes into labor. We can’t let her be a danger to herself or to anyone else, got it?” The guards all nodded in response before taking Nancy back to her cell and restraining her again. The twins moved about inside her despite her being unconscious and Brenner couldn’t help but watch in amazement. He had a sick fascination for the way the twins grew and moved inside Nancy’s body. He enjoyed watching how her skin stretched and morphed from the pressure of her children and he couldn’t help but get a little excited at the thought of how strong they would be. 

While Nancy slept, visions and dreams began to flicker through her mind. Images of a dark world filled with little flying specs and trees all around her. It looked oddly familiar, as if she had been there before, but she couldn’t put her finger on where it was...

_“Nancy...” A voice echoed through the darkness and Nancy spun around in her vision, looking through the weaving trees as she tried to find the source of the sound._

_“Who’s there? Who are you? Where are you?” She shouted out, her eyes rapidly scanning her surroundings. She instinctively backed against one of the trees, trying to curl in on herself to protect not only herself but her children as well._

_“Nancy, it’s ok. I won’t hurt you.” The voice was soft and gentle and Nancy slowly started to recognize it. It was also then that a figure emerged from the shadows. A little girl with a shaved head and a pink dress was staring at her._

_“Eleven?” Nancy gasped, “Eleven, what the hell are you doing here? Where are we? What’s going on?!” She asked nervously, approaching the girl._

_“You’re dreaming, Nancy. This is all a dream, but I’m communicating with you through your dream. You have to stay calm and listen to me. Steve and Jonathan are coming to get you. They know you’re here, even if the cops don’t believe them, so they’re going to come alone. However, I will try to find a way to you before then. I wont let Papa do the same things to your children that he did to me.” She explained, her form appearing just as hazy and dark as everything else around her._

_“W-what do I do before then? How can I fight this? I don’t want my kids to me taken from me and I don’t want to stay prisoner here any longer!” She rambled, her voice trembling with fear. Eleven stepped closer before reaching out and touching her belly. Nancy stiffened slightly; worried Eleven would do something to hurt them, before she watched the girl’s expression change._

_“It’s a boy and a girl...” She smiled, “They’re beautiful.”_

_It was then that Eleven faded away completely, leaving Nancy alone in the darkness._

_“No! No, Eleven! Eleven, come back! Don’t leave me all alone out here, come back please!” She begged, feeling a cold dark chill cross her form. Nancy began to panic, backing up against a tree before finally breaking down. She slid down the tree trunk in tears, curling into herself as if to protect her twins from the dream. “I’m so sorry...”_


	8. The Drunken Beat Cop

“You sure he’s got a map of the place?” Steve asked, his hands in his pockets as he and Jonathan stood in front of Chief Hopper’s house.

 “Yeah. After all, not only did he break into the place once, but he also saw quite a lot of it when he and my mom went to get Will back. It might take some convincing, but I think we can get him to give it to us.” Jonathan smirked, “I mean, we didn’t buy all this Jager for nothing. C’mon.” The two of them knocked on Hopper’s door, waiting for him to answer. While they were waiting, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about Nancy. Was she alright? Was she even still alive? How were the twins? What was Hawkins Labs doing to his children? Nancy... Nancy, Nancy, _Nancy..._

Steve snapped out of it when the door opened. Hopper leaned against the doorframe and he looked like shit. He had a cigarette in his mouth with his hair a complete mess and his beard had grown out significantly. Both he and his house reeked of alcohol and it made Steve cringe slightly.

 “Whadda you want?” Hopper’s words were slurred since he had in fact been drinking given the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand.

 “Chief Hopper, we need your help. We know you know that Nancy Wheeler has been missing for a while now but we also know you’ve been covering for the people who took her.” Jonathan started off calmly but Steve didn’t seem to be taking any of it. He was nervously swaying on his feet, glaring a hole through Hopper’s head and his hands clenched into fists. His girlfriend and children had been kidnapped and the only man who could possibly help in any way was drunk off his ass AND helping to cover up the tracks of the people who took them. Steve was rightfully pissed but he tried to remain as calm as possible as Jonathan continued, “Given your association with Hawkins Labs, I’m assuming you have a map of the building. We need that map.” Hopper blinked when Jonathan finished, burping drunkenly before blowing a puff of smoke in the young man’s face.

 “Sorry kid, can’t help you. I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” He lied, stumbling slightly as he tried to walk back into his house. He started to close the door but Steve knew he couldn’t let his only lifeline walk away. He slammed his hand against the door and stopped Hopper from closing it before practically kicking it down and storming inside.

 “Hopper, for fucks sake, you’re going to help us. I don’t care if you’re part of some huge fucking government conspiracy now, but my girlfriend was taken by those guys. My unborn children are probably being tortured and experimented on as we speak! If you’re going to just sit back on your ass and let that happen, you’re a fucking waste of space and I _will_ find a way to have you removed from the Force.” Steve threatened, a fire burning in his eyes that Jonathan had never seen before. Hopper tripped backwards when Steve shouted at him, falling into his lazyboy and staring up at the boy.

 “I-I didn’t know she was pregnant.” He murmured quietly and suddenly looked at the ground. He put out his cigarette, sitting there in deep thought for a few moments before glancing back up at Jonathan and Steve. Hopper stood up then, walking over to a small panel in his wall, and punching it as hard as he could. This action made Steve and Jonathan jump out of surprise, but they assumed since Hopper was drunk off his ass, it was a byproduct of his fuzzy mind. However when Hopper turned back around, the young men noticed the camera and sound recording device that Hopper had just destroyed.

 “L-hic-look in the vase over there.” Hopper gestured to the red and white floral vase on one of his tables, “The map’s in there.” Steve immediately grabbed the vase and found the folded up piece of paper shoved inside it. Upon opening it up, Steve realized it wasn’t a complete map. It couldn’t have been. The layout was too small.

 “Jonathan, this _can’t_ be it.” Steve brought the map over for his friend to observe, “Look how small the building is. There’s no way in hell this can be it since it’s not showing any secret corridors, no rooms where they could hide people, nothing but the energy and power plant façade it puts on.” His hands started shaking as he held the map, worried that they were so close to saving Nancy but that this one thing would halt his plans.

 “Hopper, this isn’t the whole facility is it?” Jonathan looked to the drunken cop who was currently nearly passed out on the floor.

 “That’s the map they gave me. Don’t look complete though. Not from what I saw.” Hopper explained, barely managing to speak by this point. “But I’ll help... I’m gonna help.” He attempted to get to his feet but he slipped on a puddle of alcohol on the ground, falling on his ass and completely passing out. Steve and Jonathan exchanged glances for a moment before they both audibly groaned.

 “We have to wait until he sobers up.” Jonathan murmured and Steve growled darkly, pacing around the room again before slamming his fists down onto the kitchen counter. He started panicking, screaming loudly in frustration for a moment before Jonathan rushed at him. He grabbed his terrified friend and shook him slightly, trying to get him to snap out of it.

 “Steve!! Steve, you freaking the fuck out is not going to solve anything! You losing your mind isn’t going to bring Nancy back any faster!” He shouted, “Look, Hopper’s gonna wake up pretty soon. He sobers up pretty quickly, don’t ask me how I know that, but just trust me. Nancy’s gonna be ok. Your kids are gonna be ok.” Jonathan tried to reason with him, holding a firm grip on Steve’s shoulders. Steve shuddered when he let out a shaky breath, slowly calming down and running his hands through his hair. His eyes scanned Jonathan’s face before pulling away from his friend.

 “I don’t think I could live with myself if she got hurt. It’s my fault she got pregnant, it’s my fault that they want her.” He muttered sadly, slowly pacing back and forth as he tried to decide what to do, ”Promise me Jonathan that if anything should happen to me, anything at all, you’ll take care of Nancy and my children.” Steve’s words caught Jonathan a bit off guard. He always assumed that Steve trusted him, but he didn’t think he trusted him _this_ much.

 “Yeah. Yeah totally dude. Of course.” Jonathan was utterly shocked by Steve’s complete selflessness and how he put Nancy first before himself. He smiled then at the thought of Steve as a father. He had seen how much of a party animal Steve was, so he could imagine that he’d be able to have some fun with a toddler. And Nancy... Jonathan knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nancy would make an incredible mother. Just her reaction to reuniting with Mike during the incident with the Demogorgon was enough to cement that for Jonathan. He imagined Nancy teaching her kids how to walk, showing them how to stand up for themselves, raising them to be strong and independent people...

 No matter how happy Jonathan may have been for her, there was still a dark and broken part of his heart that wished her children were his. He wished that he could’ve been the father to Nancy’s twins. But he’d settle for Godfather, as long as it made Nancy happy.

Luckily, Jonathan was actually right when he said Hopper sobered up quickly since it was only about an hour and a half later when the cop woke up.

“Woah... What the fu-?” Hopper stammered as he sat upright. Jonathan and Steve turned when they heard his voice, approaching him slowly and Jonathan handed him a glass of water with some aspirin in it. “How long was I out?” He asked, his words still slightly slurred but definitely more understandable than before.

“Not long but it doesn’t matter. You said you’d help us rescue Nancy right? You know a way into the building?” Steve pressed him. He tried to keep his cool, but it was kind of hard since the one man who could help them was a half drunken rebel cop. Hopper nodded though, slowly getting to his feet and sipping on the aspirin. Jonathan splayed the map out on the kitchen table as the three of them circled around it. 

“The place is guarded like a fortress 24/7. Cameras everywhere, armed guards at every door, keycard entrances, the works. They probably upped the security as well since I managed to break in there twice, so who knows what else we’ll be up against.” Hopper lit a cigarette and pointed a the lower portion of the map, “There’s an underground level that the map doesn’t show. That’s most likely where they’re keeping Nancy. It won’t be easy getting in there and both of you are gonna have to fight so I hope you’re ready.” His voice was firm and serious, despite having been drunk only a few hours ago. Steve immediately nodded in response, his jaw locking at the thought of his children being experimented on like Eleven was. 

“I want Nancy out of there. I wanna do it tonight, Chief, understand?” Steve practically growled out, causing Jonathan to shoot him a surprised look.

“Well then, if we’re gonna bust her out, we’re gonna need some heavy artillery. Follow me.” Hopper motioned for the boys to follow as he led them outside. There was a small run down shack off to the side near his trailer with a heavy-duty lock keeping it closed. He unlocked the shed with a key he had around his neck and swung open the doors. Jonathan and Steve’s eyes went wide at the sight of all the guns Hopper had stocked in this shack.

“Holy shit!” Steve exclaimed and Hopper smirked with pride.

“Holy shit is right, kid. After the incident, I didn’t know what other creatures were out there. As long as there are things that go bump in the night, I wanna be prepared. Plus if the government comes sniffing down my back again, I think my gun shed will give them one hefty warning.” He laughed and turned back to the boys.

“C’mon. Let’s go get Nancy.”


	9. Birth And Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BE WARNED, GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS AHEAD!!! MUAHAHAHAHAAA

Nancy’s eyes flickered open when she started feeling pain. This wasn’t the first time she experienced pain while she was held captive, but it certainly was the most intense. In fact, the pain was so intense that it managed to get past the sedative and slowly bring her back to consciousness. She looked around her room in a daze, noticing she was alone but she was hooked up to tons of monitors and wires. Her large abdomen was on display for anyone who cared to look with two monitors stuck to her skin. She began to sit up, only to realize that doing so caused the pain to spike. It felt as if she was having period cramps but multiplied by 1000 as well as if she was being stabbed in the spine. Nancy doubled over when she finally sat upright, the pain becoming much worse before slowly dying down. She had no clue what was happening and when she attempted to stand up, she was forced to sit right back down again due to the IV in her hand.

“Hello? Is anyone here? Can anyone hear me?” She shouted, trying to get a response. Even though she was a prisoner, she still didn’t like the idea of being alone. This was probably because she continued to have after effects from the trauma she suffered with the Demogorgon. Nancy’s free hand pressed against her stomach where one of her twins was pushing out, realizing the pain was starting to come back.

“Miss Wheeler, you’re going to need to sit back down.” The voice of Brenner rang out when the man appeared in the doorway. Nancy narrowed her eyes when she saw him, gritting her teeth from both pain and anger.

“Let me go.” She spat. Her ferocity only earned her a dry laugh from Brenner.

“You’ve told us that many times in the past and yet you still think one day we’re finally going to let you go?” He shook his head before raising his eyebrow when he saw her grimace. He approached slowly, preparing himself for when she started to fight back but he was shocked when she didn’t. Instead, Nancy let out a loud cry of pain before doubling over and grabbing onto the side of the cot. Brenner’s eyes scanned her body before he called in a few doctors over his walkie. Nancy willingly sat back on the cot and let the doctors examine her since she could tell there was something wrong. When one of the doctors stuck his fingers inside her before turning back to Brenner and nodding, Nancy immediately got concerned. 

“What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?! What is it!?” She demanded, starting to panic until Brenner laughed again.

“Calm down Miss Wheeler, there’s nothing wrong. In fact, you should be happy. Your twins are about to make their way into this world because you’re in labor.” He smirked and Nancy’s nerves skyrocketed.

“You’re not going to touch them, you hear me?! I won’t let you take them!! You’re not going to steal my children from me!!” She screamed, starting to kick against the doctors who quickly scuttled away. Brenner just put a firm hand on her shoulder and shoved her back down onto the bed.

“We’re not going to hurt them, Miss Wheeler, I promise. In fact, soon enough you won’t even remember that you were ever pregnant in the first place.” Brenner said with a quiet voice before he left the room and three more doctors replaced him. Nancy knew that struggling would only make things worse, so she tried her best to relax. Unfortunately, the knowledge that Brenner was planning on wiping her mind of her twins’ existence weighed heavily on her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction ripped through her body and a single tear slid down her cheek from beneath her closed eyes.

* * *

 

_You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington..._

Steve would always remember those words until the day he died. Nancy was his rock, his entire life, and he was her beautiful idiot. He loved her more than he could ever express yet he wasn’t there to protect her when she needed him most. He hoped that saving her now would make up for all the lost time when he wasn’t there. He was snapped back to reality when he heard the loud click of Hopper cutting into the wire fence surrounding Hawkins Labs. Jonathan put his hand on Steve’s shoulder when he saw his friend jump, nodding at him.

“We’re gonna get them back, Steve.” Jonathan was surprisingly calm on the outside but all the while he was destroyed on the inside. Just the fact that Nancy had been taken all while he could’ve prevented it was eating away at him slowly. Jonathan knew he could never be with her in the way he wanted, but he would protect her with his life if need be.

Hopper finished cutting through the fence and slowly led the two young men through. Steve’s heart was pounding hard since he was completely on edge. He needed to find Nancy and find her alive as well as rescue the twins. If he failed to do either of those things, he didn’t think he could live with himself.

The three of them tiptoed quietly across the grounds of the facility, keeping their eyes peeled for any trouble. Hopper led them along the exact same route he used for the previous times he broke in, making sure to avoid any well-placed traps he knew they installed. Luckily, Hopper had managed to snag a keycard the last time the agents of Hawkins Labs “talked” to him so getting inside would be a lot easier. They walked up to the back door that a few scientists had just left and Hopper snagged the door before it closed. He motioned for Jonathan and Steve to follow, which they did readily. Steve’s hand twitched as he grabbed the hilt of the pistol in his holster. He didn’t want to fight, he didn’t want to kill anyone, but if he had to in order to get Nancy back, he would. Jonathan on the other hand held his gun firmly with no hesitation. He stood beside Steve while Hopper led them through the winding hallways and corridors that he knew no one would be in at the time. He used the stolen keycard to get them through locked doors, avoiding the guarded ones in favor of the almost abandoned ones. Sure, the abandoned ones would take them longer to get to Nancy, but there was a lesser chance they would get caught. Unfortunately, the second the three men got to the elevator, the loud cocking of guns stopped them in their tracks.

“Hands up!” A man shouted, causing them to turn around with their hands slowly rising. There were two security guards, both of them pointing their pistols at the men, but they were both clearly nervous. Hopper noticed their stance and the way they held their guns and laughed when he determined how new they were at their jobs.

“Hey hey, take it easy guys. We’re just taking a tour ok? Dr. Brenner asked for us specifically.” Hopper lied, noticing the way the guards were attempting to process his words. The instant the two guards lowered their weapons; Hopper jumped them and threw their guns to the floor. He hit them both hard enough to knock them unconscious, shoving their passed out bodies into a spare room just as the elevator arrived.

“Damn Hopper, you’ve done this before?” Steve asked with a laugh, his words causing Jonathan to laugh in response.

“I told you kid, I’ve dealt with these assholes in the past. I know their methods.” Hopper’s voice was firm and unwavering. On the inside, Hopper was far more nervous than he could say but he knew he had to stay strong for Steve and Jonathan.

The elevator doors opened once they reached the lower level and that’s when they heard the screams. Cries of agony echoed through the long hallways and Steve’s blood ran cold. He knew those screams... He could recognize those screams anywhere. Jonathan knew the screams as well and his hand tightened on his gun.

“NANCY!” Steve screamed, unable to hold himself back anymore. Hopper immediately covered Steve’s mouth and shoved him back, a fire burning in his eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing kid? Are you trying to get us all killed?!” Hopper growled and Steve shook his head. He pushed past Hopper however, making a B-line and following the sound of the screams. Unfortunately, that’s also when the gunfire started.

The first bullet whizzed past Steve’s ear and buried in the wall behind him. He barely had time to realize what was happening by the time the next shot was fired.

“GET DOWN!” Jonathan shouted, tackling his friend to the ground as a barrage of gunfire filled the hallway. Hopper hid in an open room, firing blindly until he saw their attackers.

“GET OFF YOUR ASSES!! GO FIND NANCY! I’LL HOLD THEM OFF!!!” Hopper screamed over the gunshots. Jonathan and Steve quickly got to their feet before they took off running, firing at the guards when necessary. The first time Steve landed a shot, he nearly threw up. He froze on the spot when he saw his victim writhing and bleeding out on the floor beneath him, his hands shaking and the bile building in his stomach. Luckily, Jonathan was there to break him out of his haze. The two of them continued to run down the winding halls until the screaming got louder.

“NANCY!!! NANCY WHERE ARE YOU?!?!” Steve screamed again, completely breaking and losing his cool. He didn’t care they were being shot at and looked for. He knew he couldn’t stay quiet as long as Nancy was in the vicinity.

“STEVE?! OH MY GOD STEVE I’M-OW FUCK!!” Nancy responded. Her voice and the way it shook with fear only made Steve more terrified. They ran faster, following the sound of Nancy’s screams, until they got to a locked door where the screams were the loudest. Jonathan kicked the door down, breaking it off its hinges, and the sight before them made Steve’s vision blur with anger.

Nancy was lying on the bed with her legs hitched up and spread open. There was a doctor between them, instructing her to push and a group of nurses in the corner. Jonathan pointed his gun at the nurses, forcing them to stay where they were. Steve ran to Nancy’s side, grabbing her hand.

“Oh my god Nancy! Oh Nancy baby, I’m so sorry!” He kissed her forehead, realizing what was going on.

“Steve you have to stop them! They’re going to take our babies!” She cried out, throwing her head back as she pushed harder.

“The first head is out!” The doctor proclaimed and Steve nuzzled closer to her.

“I’m not going to let them take our children. But they clearly aren’t going to wait any more Nance. You need to push ok? You need to get them out now.” Steve whispered in her ear, kissing her lightly again as she pushed as hard as she could.

The first baby slid out soon enough with a loud cry.

“It’s a boy!” The doctor lifted the baby up and Jonathan was instantly on the man.

“Give her the baby, NOW.” He growled, putting the barrel of his gun on the back of the man’s head. The doctor unwillingly agreed, placing the screaming baby boy on Nancy’s chest. She started sobbing with a combination of joy and fear at the sight of her son.

“H-he’s got your hair, Steve.” She laughed weakly, noting the large crop of dark hair on the boy’s head. Steve smiled and laughed as well, one of the nurses walking over slowly and cutting the cord. Jonathan was on the nurse then as well, keeping his eyes on both the doctor and the nurses. One nurse then took the baby boy to go clean him up and measure him while the doctor returned to his place underneath Nancy.

“You’ve gotta push again, Miss Wheeler! The second baby is on its way!” The doctor instructed and Steve nodded to Nancy, pushing her sweaty hair off her forehead as she screamed in pain. It was then that Hopper ran into the room as well, his eyes going wide at the scene.

“Chief! Protect the door! Don’t let anyone in!” Jonathan shouted and Hopper nodded immediately, his gun tight in his grasp at the door. Nancy kept pushing as hard as she could, tears streaming down her cheeks and Steve held her hand tightly as she squeezed it.

It was only four minutes after her brother was born that a screaming baby girl entered the world.

At Jonathan’s demand, the doctor put the girl on Nancy’s chest so she could look at her as well. Nancy petted her tiny head and Steve smiled wider than he ever thought possible. Another nurse then came over, cut the cord, and whisked the baby girl away to join her brother.

Unfortunately, that single moment Hopper turned around to look at the babies was his downfall.

The sound of a single gunshot echoed in the room and a large spray of blood stained the walls and the floor. Hopper’s dead body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, a single bullet hole clean through his skull. Nancy screamed in shock and the two young men immediately sprang into action as Dr. Brenner stood in the doorway with guards at his back.

“Thank you so much for this beautiful gift, Miss Wheeler. We are so proud of you.” Brenner’s voice was calm and gentle but Steve and Jonathan were anything but. Steve immediately stepped in front of Nancy, protecting her from Brenner while Jonathan stood in front of the children as the nurses looked them over.

“If you think you’re going to be walking out of here with them, you are fucking mistaken.” Steve snarled angrily, baring his teeth and pointing his gun straight at Brenner. The man just laughed darkly, shaking his head as he motioned to the guards behind him. The security guards then flooded the room, causing Steve and Jonathan to start shooting wildly. They got two or three guards but there were just too many and they kept coming. Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan were all shouting, fighting against the guards that were grabbing onto them and holding tight. Nancy, however, was much quieter than Jonathan and Steve. She was also far paler than anyone else in the room.

Due to the gunfire and the already shocking amount of blood in the room, everyone had failed to notice how badly Nancy herself was bleeding. And it was only when Nancy could barely stand up that anyone even noticed.

“Nancy? NANCY OH MY GOD, SHE’S BLEEDING!! SOMEONE HELP HER!! SOMEONE HELP HER PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HELP HER!!!” Steve screamed when he saw how much blood was pouring out of her. Brenner looked at Steve for a moment before looking back at Nancy. He walked over to the young woman who was fading in and out of consciousness and ran his hand along her jawline.

“You’ve served your purpose Miss Wheeler. I wish it didn’t have to come to this but you are no longer useful to us.” Brenner whispered as he instructed the guard to drop Nancy on the floor. Steve and Jonathan were both screaming at the tops of their lungs by this point. They struggled against the muscular guards that held them as Brenner approached, staring at the two men. “If you hadn’t tried to be heroes, maybe none of this would’ve happened. Just know that Miss Wheeler’s death is on your heads. It’s your f-“ Brenner was immediately cut off when the lights in the room began to flicker rapidly. Alarms suddenly blared and red lights flashed in the hallway. Everyone in the room looked around in terror, trying to figure out what the hell was happening when a loud banging started on the far wall. The jarring noise made everyone jump and stare at the wall as it started being beaten down, the concrete and steel being broken like wood. Pieces of cement and drywall cracked and littered the floor and Brenner knew instantly what was happening.

He started to run towards the twins when the wall completely burst open and darkness surrounded the room. The guards dropped both Steve and Jonathan out of fear and they both ran to Nancy’s side. Steve grabbed Nancy’s head and furiously tried to wake her up, taking her into his arms as something walked through the dark portal. Jonathan looked up then and his eyes widened when he saw who had walked through the opening.

“Eleven?” He whispered, his gaze falling upon the young girl with a shaved head. She was still in the dirty pink dress he saw her wearing last and she was bleeding from every facial orifice. Brenner stared at the little girl with shock clearly expressed on his face. He hesitated for only a few moments before regaining the ability to speak.

“Shoot her! For the love of God shoot her!” He shouted and the guards, once they gathered their courage, started firing at the girl. Their attempts were in vain, however, since Eleven started deflecting the bullets. She ricocheted the bullets with her mind, sending them all back towards who first fired them. Every single guard dropped dead behind Brenner as Eleven got closer to him. Out of fear, Brenner pulled out his own handgun and fired at the girl but she deflected them just as she did earlier.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been as conscious of where those bullets went since the next thing she knew, Jonathan was crying out in agony.

Steve whipped around while still holding Nancy and stared at his friend. Jonathan had been shot four times in the back, causing him to collapse beside Steve.

“Jonathan!” Steve exclaimed before he looked over at Eleven who was now directly in front of Brenner. The older man was staring at the girl as if she was a monster, his body being forcibly held against the wall by Eleven.

“Goodbye papa...” Eleven whispered as an all too familiar noise to Steve roared in the open portal. Suddenly, the Demogorgon leapt forth and grabbed a screaming Brenner. The creature held Brenner tightly as Eleven glanced back at Steve with a sympathetic look, “I’m so sorry.” She murmured softly before the entire room went black.

When the lights came back on, Steve was alone in the room and surrounded by dead bodies. He panted as he looked around, the wall behind him strangely fixed as if it had never happened. However, it clearly happened, since Jonathan was slowly bleeding out beside him. The young man was struggling to say something as he took his last breaths.

“T-t-tell m-my m-m-mom I-i-I’m s-sorry...” Jonathan whimpered as his body fell limp. Nancy, however, was trembling in Steve’s arms from blood loss. Steve cradled her like a child, tears clouding his vision and dropping onto Nancy’s perfect face.

“Nancy no... Nancy please, you can’t leave me! You can’t leave our twins... We’ve got a boy and a girl, Nance. They’re so beautiful, they look just like you!” He said, trying to get her to listen and stay awake but his efforts were all in vein. Nancy slowly and shakily raised a hand and pushed a strand of Steve’s hair out of his face before giving him a weak smile.

“Protect them... Promise me Steve...” She whispered and Steve nodded, pulling her up closer and kissing her one last time.

“I promise Nance... I promise.” His voice faded quietly as Nancy finally fell limp like a ragdoll in his arms. The room was deadly quiet then. Steve rocked back and forth with Nancy’s dead body before letting out an absolutely agonizing scream. He screamed and screamed for as long as his voice would allow as he completely shattered. His entire world was gone. His Nancy, his _beautiful_ Nancy Wheeler, was dead in his arms and it was his fault. His best friend was dead beside him and it was his fault. The police chief that everyone trusted and believed in was dead...

This entire ordeal was _all his fault._

Steve sobbed over Nancy’s body for a few moments until he heard gentle noises from across the room. He looked up and realized that his twins were still alive. Amazingly, his babies were completely unharmed despite all that happened. Steve put Nancy’s body back onto the cot before slowly approaching his children. His baby boy and baby girl were both swaddled and squirming right before his eyes. 

These two perfect little human beings were all he had left of Nancy.

He was about to pick them up but the cops that ran into the room interrupted him. They all went silent when they saw the scene before them. Steve turned around slowly and stood there frozen to the spot.

“Please... Help.”


	10. Pawnee, Indiana

Steve and the twins were promptly rescued when the cops arrived. The news and pretty much everyone in town surrounded Hawkins Labs as Steve reemerged alone. He watched silently when Nancy and Jonathan’s bodies were put into an ambulance, his eyes burning from all the tears he had shed. He heard Nancy’s parents cursing and shouting at him. Their words stabbed him like knives and Mrs. Byers’s cries of heartbreak only dug the knives in deeper. He reluctantly hopped into the back of the cop car and the last thing he saw was an EMT taking his children away. 

The police interrogated Steve for hours on end as they tried to figure out what the hell happened. Thankfully the security tapes from Hawkins Labs matched up with Steve’s story so he was released scott free the next day. Because Steve was legally an adult and any charges against him had been dropped, the twins were returned to him a few days later. Unfortunately, Steve knew deep down that he would never be able to care for them. The only reason he ever felt like he could be a father was because Nancy was there. Now that she was gone, Steve knew for a fact that he couldn’t handle it.

“What are you gonna do?” Steve’s mother asked as Steve sat on the couch with his head in his hands.

“The only thing I can do, mom. I have to give them away.” It broke his heart to say so but he knew it would be the smartest thing to do. He then looked up at his mother, meeting her eyes. “My cousin Caroline still lives in Pawnee right?” He asked and his mother’s eyebrow quirked.

“Yeah, Caroline married that rich young obstetrician there, David Saperstein. Why do you ask?”

“Because I have a plan. I remember when she came by last year for the family reunion I overheard her talking with someone that she and David were having a hard time having kids.” Steve said, “Maybe they’d be willing to take John and Lisa?” His mom sighed quietly, shaking her head before running a hand through her hair.

“I don’t know honey. I mean, they did recently just have a miscarriage but I don’t know if they’d be willing to take in twins.” Steve bit his lip and thought hard. The Sapersteins were the only people he knew that might be willing to take care of John and Lisa. Regardless of what his mother thought, Steve made the four hour drive to Pawnee the next day, hoping to god they wouldn’t turn him away. Once he arrived, he sat in his car for a few minutes in thought, glancing at the rearview mirror at his twins. John was a dead ringer for him while Lisa looked so much like Nancy it hurt. Steve wished with all his heart that he could’ve kept them, but he knew giving them away would give them their best chance. He promised Nancy he would keep them safe and getting them out of Hawkins and away from the mad men at Hawkins Labs was the safest thing for them.

He rang their front doorbell and waited, giving each of his twins a soft kiss on their foreheads as Caroline answered the door.

“Oh my god, Steve? What the hell are you doing here? You’re all over the news, are you ok?” She asked rapidly before she saw the twins in their carriers. “What’s going on?”

“Caroline, I need your help.” He whispered, “The mother of my children died bringing them into the world and I...” He stopped, feeling tears beginning to well in his eyes, “I don’t think I’d be able to raise them without her. I can’t properly take care of them by myself and I want them to have their best chance in life. Caroline, do you think you and David would be willing to take them?” Steve watched her with hope in his eyes, his hands shaking by his sides. His cousin started tearing up as well before nodding.

“Steve of course we’ll raise them. Do you know how long we’ve been trying to have a baby?” She took one carrier while Steve took the other as she welcomed him inside. “DAVID! DAVID COME DOWN HERE!” She called to her husband, looking down at the two beautiful angels who rested before her. “Did you already name them?”

“Yeah. The boy is John Ralph and the girl is Lisa Nancy.” Caroline picked Lisa up and began to sway with her when David walked down the stairs.

“Caroline? What’s going on?”

“David, we’re parents!” She said with a smile. Tears of joy began to stain her cheeks as David tried to process just what the hell was going on.

“W-what? What do you mean we’re parents?” He glanced over at Steve, “What’s your cousin doing here?”

“David don’t be so dense. You’ve watched the news with me, you know what happened with him over in Hawkins. Apparently it all was about the mother of his children and he and the twins were the only ones who made it out alive. He said he doesn’t feel strong enough nor confident enough to raise them and asked us to do it. He wants us to take care of these precious little babies.” Caroline explained and David’s jaw dropped. He walked over to the pair and picked up little John while Caroline nuzzled closer to Lisa. Steve watched in awe with a soft smile plastered onto his face.

“I know you two just had a miscarriage recently... maybe this was meant to be.” His tone turned sad as he thought this was maybe fate but he wouldn’t let himself think about it too much. “I don’t want them to know who their real parents are. They don’t need to know that their parents were a pair of irresponsible teenagers who didn’t even plan on having them.” He laughed dryly and rubbed the back of his neck. Caroline was crying by this point, kissing little Lisa on her forehead.

“Are you sure you don’t want them to know they’re adopted? That’s a big choice, after all, they are your children.” Caroline asked through her tears but Steve stood by his decision.

“They’re not my children... not anymore.” He whispered, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. “Feel free to rename them too if you wish. I managed to get the birth certificates blank from the hospital. Everything is already filled out except for their names and their parents.” Steve’s voice was shaky and for good reason. He felt sick to his stomach giving away his children, but it was the only choice. David put John back in his carrier and walked over to Steve, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

“Thank you, Steve. You have no idea how much this means to Caroline and I.” He said, patting Steve on the back.

“You’re welcome, David. I promised Nancy, their mother, that I would protect them and keep them safe. This is the best thing I could’ve done for them.” He sniffled, running a hand through his hair.

“We’ll keep you updated if you want, Steve.” Caroline offered and that’s when Steve’s eyes brightened slightly.

“Oh... um... sure... Some pictures every so often would be nice along with some updates.” He replied, swaying back and forth on his feet awkwardly, “If there’s anything else you need, I’ll be happy to help.”

“We’ve got it all handled here, Steve. We just can’t thank you enough for this gift you’ve given us.” David repeated. Steve nodded in response before saying his goodbyes and giving his twins one last kiss each. The moment he returned to his car and closed the door, he broke down in sobs. He had just given away the last remaining thing he had of Nancy. His own flesh and blood were no longer his.

Despite the guilt and sadness he felt, deep down Steve knew he had made the right choice.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later, Steve received a small postcard in the mail. It was a picture of Caroline and David Saperstein with their newborn twins, just a few weeks old. 

“ _Please welcome our beautiful bundles of joy Mona Lisa Saperstein and Jean-Ralphio Saperstein into this world! We are so blessed to have these precious little gifts!”_

Steve couldn’t help but laugh at the names Caroline and David had chosen, but he was happy all the same. Jean-Ralphio was already a spitting image of Steve with his huge crop of hair and striking eyes. Mona Lisa on the other hand clearly looked like a combination of him and Nancy, sharing both of their features respectively. Steve just hoped they would be loved and grow up in a family that could care for them.

And he knew that no matter what, he had fulfilled his promise to his beautiful, perfect Nancy and she would forever live on in Mona Lisa and Jean-Ralphio Saperstein.


End file.
